Preview: UFC 197 ‘Jones vs. St. Preux’

Jones vs. St. Preux

All eyes will be on Jon Jones, as
the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder returns to the
Octagon for the first time since unlawful behavior outside the cage
led to his being stripped of his crown.

UFC Interim Light Heavyweight
Championship

THE MATCHUP: St. Preux is not the ideal
replacement for Cormier, but he is certainly an interesting
opponent for Jones and offers the best light heavyweight on the
planet an unprecedented challenge.

St. Preux is a violently explosive fighter. His left hand and left
kick both come with stunning quickness and power. St. Preux uses
this explosiveness to counter his opponents, looping around on the
outside and clipping the other man as he dives in or else chopping
him down at range if he refuses to advance. St. Preux will also
keep things interesting by shooting reactive doubles -- whatever it
takes to break the opponent’s rhythm and put him at a
disadvantage.

Of course, these natural talents are counterbalanced by St. Preux’s
many technical deficiencies. Most glaringly, he has very little to
offer on the ground. Whether lying flat on his back in half guard
or freely giving up his back to stand, St. Preux is so used to
relying on explosions that he has not developed a well-rounded
ground game. The same holds true on the feet, where St. Preux
rarely throws in combination and tends to load up on his shots. All
of that instantaneous muscular contraction takes a toll on St.
Preux, who winds up gasping for breath and moving sluggishly by the
mid-point of the second round; and that is with a full camp.

Jones has yet to face a counterpuncher with St. Preux’s power and
speed, and that will be more than enough reason for the former
champion to stay cautious in the early going, Still, Jones has many
options for dealing with the threat. Not only does Jones have four
inches of reach on “OSP,” but his game has evolved lately to allow
him full use of that advantage. Jones has worked heavily on his
boxing. Both his punching and footwork have come along nicely, and
St. Preux will have a very difficult time cornering the champion.
Jones’ improved technique will make him difficult to counter, as
well. “Bones” likes to jab his way into the pocket, where he works
slicing elbows and short punches, moving his head and keeping a
high guard to prevent the counter. Then there is the wrestling.
Jones has taken down such excellent wrestlers as Cormier, Rashad
Evans and Glover
Teixeira. It has been some time since Jones was able to pin an
opponent and go to work with his famous ground-and-pound, but St.
Preux is less skilled and less prepared than most title
challengers.

THE ODDS: Jones (-502), St. Preux (+400)

THE PICK: The first round should be dicey, with
St. Preux looking to land his left kick and drop a counter left
hand on Jones’ chin. After Jones finds his rhythm, however, St.
Preux will have little to offer. Without an overextended,
off-balance opponent in front of him, “OSP” will have trouble
timing his counters and his powerful kicks will only leave him open
to takedowns. The pick is Jones by TKO in round two.